Glenn Boss celebrates a Late Model victory last year at Thompson Speedway
The Sunoco World Series at Thompson Speedway has become the symbolic mark of close for southern New England Racing over the years.
For one of the track’s all-time winningest drivers, this weekend’s World Series at Thompson Speedway will also mark the close of a career.
Danielson’s Glenn Boss said he will retire from competing in the local racing ranks after Friday’s 25-lap Late Model feature at Thompson Speedway.
The 57-year old Boss, who is driving for car owner Joe Lillie this season, has been racing locally since 1992.
“I’ve just lost the spark for it,” said Boss, who is eighth in the Late Model standings this year at Thompson. “It’s not like what it used to be. It’s just not there for me anymore.”
Boss, currently a regular in the Late Model division at Thompson, will end his career as the fourth-winningest driver all-time in Thompson Speedway history with 56 wins, which ties him with current Limited Sportsman division driver Larry Barnett on the all-time win list. He sits behind Ted Christopher (98 wins), Rick Gentes (74 wins) and the late Fred DeSarro (63 wins).
“It’s time to turn the page and go onto the next chapter. I’ve met a lot of nice people in racing and I’ve had a lot of great car owners. I’ve never owned a racecar. I’ve had some real good car owners and I’ve had some not so good car owners. I’ve met a lot of nice people and some not so nice people. People say to me, ‘You’re not going to quit.’ But I have nothing to prove to myself.
It was DeSarro’s exploits at Thompson that got Boss interested in stock car racing.
“I grew up in Hope Valley, R.I, the same town as Fred DeSarro. That’s how I got into racing,” Boss said. “I used to go watch him and I’d always talk to him in town when I saw him. It got me wanting to get into racing. And I just started getting into it.”
Boss started in 1992 driving a Strictly Stock [now Limited Sportsman] at Thompson and the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. He won track championships at Thompson and Waterford in the division in both 1992 and 1993.
In addition, Boss had Strictly Stock/Limited Sportsman championships at Thompson in 1996, ’97, 2003 and 2005. He also competed in the former Thompson Modified division before moving to the Late Model division three years ago.
Overall Boss has 40 Limited Sportsman victories at Thompson, 13 Thompson Modified division victories and three Late Model division wins. He has seven career Limited Sportsman wins at the Speedbowl.
Boss said he’s not sure what his emotions will be like Friday.
“I’m going to go out there and do the best I can,” Boss said. “Am I going to win the race? I don’t think so. We’re working hard on the car this week to get me the best car I can have for this race. But there’s a lot of better cars there. But it could be emotional. But I feel like it’s time for me. I guess you know when it’s time to stop something. I was contemplating it last year and then this year it just solidified everything for me.
“I just want to thank everybody, my wife Tricia, my kids, all my sponsors, everyone that has supported me and helped me out through the years. I appreciate what everybody has done.”
Boss said that despite hanging up the helmet, he hopes to stay around the track as a crew member.
“I’m going to probably help out [local Late Model driver] Jeff Smith,” Boss said. “His family and him, I’ve become pretty good friends with them over the past few years. If I stay doing something it will probably be to help those guys out.”
(Statistics for this story generously provided by Nicholas Teto of Yankee Racer)
Thank you for some fo the most exciting drama filled races i have ever sean good luck and hope to see you at the track for manny years to come